


A Surprise for You

by Ace_From_Outer_Space, Nothing_You_Can_Prove



Series: The Last of Us [1]
Category: The Last of Us, The Last of Us 2 - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Romance, everyone's a dork basically, minor TLOU2 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24876565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ace_From_Outer_Space/pseuds/Ace_From_Outer_Space, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nothing_You_Can_Prove/pseuds/Nothing_You_Can_Prove
Summary: Life on the farm has become the new norm for Ellie and Dina. It's almost too good to be true. Ellie keeps waiting for something to happen, like it always does, but maybe this time she doesn't have to worry about bad surprises.
Relationships: Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us)
Series: The Last of Us [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800034
Comments: 5
Kudos: 184





	A Surprise for You

**Author's Note:**

> Just another short one. Enjoy!

Ellie stared at the farmhouse. Her home. After everything she’d been through, this was a dream. She worried that, one day, she would close her eyes and it’d all be gone. A figment of her imagination. Or worse, this was real and she’d lose it someday. She walked across the field, her hands brushing against long grass and wheat. So serene. Different from the city. The house still needed some work, a few loose boards and cracked windows. 

Nothing they couldn’t fix.

Dina, who was busy with dishes, turned at the sound of the door opening. JJ was strapped to her, just happy to be there.

“Look, JJ,” Dina cooed. “The intrepid explorer returns!”

Ellie held up her haul, two rabbits.

“With prizes.”

“Good to know we won’t starve any time soon,” Dina said with an appreciative nod.

Seeing an opening, Ellie slid up behind Dina. She put an arm around her waist, the other taking JJ’s hand.

“How are my two favorite people today?” JJ babbled away, as if answering. “Oh, really? Sounds like an exciting adventure.”

“He’s been helping me doing chores, haven’t you, little goober?” Dina gave Ellie an accusatory stare. “Unlike your mom…”

“Hey, I’ve been doing my own chores.” Ellie looked over at the rabbits, then nestled into Dina’s neck.

“Yes, but you like hindering mine. Like now.” 

Grinning, Ellie pressed her lips to Dina’s neck.

“Ellie.”

“What?” 

“Stop it.”

An unconvincing order. Ellie stopped for a moment, innocently nuzzling noses with JJ. 

“Mmm, stop what?”

“You are…” Dina sighed, turning around in Ellie’s arms to face her, “infuriating.”

“So I’ve been told.”

As Ellie leaned in to kiss her, there was a sharp knock at the door.

“You should answer that, babe,” Dina said.

Not moving, Ellie rested her forehead against Dina’s. “Can’t we just ignore it?”

“Nope.” Dina shoved her towards the door. “No more distracting me.”

“Ugh, fine. Better be important.”

Reluctantly, Ellie peeked through the window. It was someone she recognized. She opened the door. 

“What’re you doing here?”

“A mighty fine welcome.” Joel stood before her, a faint smile on his lips. “Do I need a reason to stop by?”

“No, but you only really come here when there’s a problem.”

“Today’s an exception.”

She didn’t believe that, not for a second. Maybe she was hardwired to expect things would go wrong. Dina came up behind her, JJ secured in his sling. 

“Ah, Joel. Glad you could grace us with your presence.”

“Hey, Dina.” Joel’s eyes drifted to JJ, a huge grin forming. “And hey there, kiddo.”

JJ waved his arms around, making happy chirrups. Dina carefully handed him to Joel. 

“He's getting so big,” Joel gently rocked him, “heavy too."

Dina rolled her shoulders. “Yeah, don’t I feel it sometimes.”

“How ‘bout we go take him for a walk around the farm?” Joel asked, looking at Ellie. “You know, check the perimeter.”

“Yes, the fewer distractions, the better.” Dina lifted the sling over her head, passing it to Joel. “Tagging you in, big guy.”

Chuckling, he shifted JJ to one hip, slapping her hand and taking the sling. “On it.”

Once JJ was secured, Joel swept his arm towards the door. “Shall we?” 

“Yeah, alright.” Ellie scuffed the floor with her sneakers. “I see where I’m not wanted.”

“Oh, please,” Dina cupped Ellie’s face in her hands, “you’re always wanted. Just… better to keep you out of the way while I’m trying to do chores.”

“Uh-huh. Well, have fun with that.”

Giving Dina a quick kiss on the cheek, Ellie followed him outside. A gentle breeze rustled the grass, warm sunlight bathing the fields in a golden glow. Joel took a deep breath.

“Ah, so fresh out here.”

“Almost like there’s no infected or crazy people, huh.”

“Yeah, almost.” Joel spotted a rusted tractor, then bopped JJ’s nose. “You know, I think it’s time you learned how to drive. ‘Specially if you don’t wanna drive like your mom.”

“Hey, I drive… okay.”

“Mhm.” 

“Yeah, well,” Ellie rolled her eyes, “maybe you should teach me better.”

“Okay, hotshot. Next time we find a working car.” 

Joel stepped up onto the tractor, gently lifting JJ out of the sling and onto his lap. JJ reached out, grabbing for the wheel. 

“His instincts are good.”

“He wants to grab _everything_.”

As a perfect demonstration of her point, JJ grabbed Joel’s beard and tugged. “Oh, yup, point taken. Man, he’s got a good grip.”

“Shouldn’t let it get so long.” She smirked. “Or plait it. It’d suit you.”

“Yes, and make it easier for this little scamp to grab.”

“Maybe he could use it as a swing,” she suggested.

“Might rip my jaw off, but sure.” He shrugged. “Anything for this one.” 

Joel ruffled his hair, then blew raspberries on his face. JJ shrieked with joy, waving his arms around. Once settled again, Joel put his hands on the wheel and pretended to talk into a radio.

“This is trucker Joel and his companion, JJ. We’re in for the long haul, driving across America in search of fame and fortune. Over.”

He made static and engine noises, shifting from side to side with each turn, much to JJ’s delight.

“God, you’re such a fucking idiot,” Ellie said, forcing back a smile.

“I reckon so.” He sat upright again. “Mind taking him while I get down? These old bones ain’t what they used to be.”

Ellie took JJ, waggling her fingers in front of his face. He grabbed hold of one with a small hand.

“Ah, no, a monster’s got my finger. How am I gonna escape? No, please, spare meeeeee.”

A chuckle caught her attention. Joel was on the ground now, grinning from ear to ear. Before, all his wrinkles had been from frowning. Now, he was getting some laughter lines.

"What’s so funny, Joel?"

"Sorry, sorry, I just…” he cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head, “never saw you as the, uh, maternal type."

Focusing on JJ, Ellie kissed his forehead. Such an adorable goofball.

"Never really thought about it, you know."

There were a few reasons. The main one: it was hard enough keeping herself alive, let alone a defenseless kid. She knew how rough it was growing up in this world.

Joel nodded sagely. "Raising a kid’s hard. Even harder now."

"Sometimes you gotta do it,” Ellie shrugged, “even if it's hard."

Finding out Dina was pregnant had been a shock at first. So soon into their relationship, too. While Dina made it clear that it wouldn’t change her and Jesse’s break up, doubt had gnawed at Ellie’s mind. She trusted them, but nothing ever went to plan. Every time something good happened, it didn’t last.

This time, surprisingly, it had.

“Yeah.” Joel leaned against the tractor. “I've got a lot to teach that kid. Aside from how to drive."

"You better find him a dinosaur museum too."

JJ deserved that kind of happiness.

“Count on it. Which reminds me…” Joel stood up straighter, “lemme go take him on an adventure today."

"You sure?"

“Yup."

"Uh, okay then.”

Joel put JJ back in the sling and moved away from the house. Ellie watched them go, smiling to herself. When she first met Joel, he was so harsh and emotionally distant.

“Look at us now, Joel.”

Before she went back inside, she ran her fingers across the old tree carving she and Dina made when they first got here. That seemed so long ago now. Time was a strange concept after the outbreak. People tried to keep track but nobody really knew. Letting her hand slide off the bark, Ellie stepped onto the creaky porch and went inside. 

Dina was nowhere to be seen.

“Dina?”

Her heart skipped a beat, panic flooding her mind. No sign of a struggle. She looked out the window. Nothing.

“Hey, Dina?”

Maybe she was upstairs. Ellie took the steps two at a time, checking all the rooms. Empty. 

“Okay, maybe she’s in the barn or something.”

Ellie moved back downstairs and walked outside, still not seeing Dina anywhere. Maybe- her vision went dark. Hands covered her eyes. Her instincts told her to fight, but she resisted. 

“Dina, what are you doing?”

“Come with me.”

Relief washed over Ellie. They hadn’t seen much trouble out here. She hoped it stayed that way.

“Well, I can’t see.”

“It’s okay, I’ll guide you.” Slowly, Ellie shuffled forward. “Whoa, move to the right.” Dina pulled her over. “Nearly clipped the fence, there.”

“Can’t you just tell me what this is?”

“Nope. You’ll see in a minute.” They continued stumbling forward, suddenly stopping. “Don’t open your eyes yet.”

Ellie heard shuffling, lots of it. She had no idea what Dina was planning. 

“Alright, you can look now.”

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit barn. There was a table in the middle, a half-burnt candle with mismatched cutlery and plates atop it. 

"What is all this?" Ellie asked.

"A surprise. For you."

Now Joel’s sudden appearance made perfect sense. "You got Joel in on this, didn't you?"

"Didn’t take much convincing. He does love JJ."

"Yeah, it’s kinda weird how good he is with that kid."

Dina gathered Ellie’s hands in hers. "You're always doing small romantic gestures, like distracting me from chores and serenading me, so… I wanted to return the favor. And, while we’re waiting on food…” 

She moved to the corner of the barn, returning with a guitar. Then, she sat down, gesturing for Ellie to take the other chair. 

“Wait, what?”

“Just listen, alright.”

Confused, Ellie watched her check the tuning and press down on the fretboard. With one clean strum, Dina started to play a song Ellie definitely recognized.

**_“Talking away. I don't know what I'm to say. I'll say it anyway. Today's another day to find you. Shying away. I'll be coming for your love, okay?”_ **

There was a long pause, Dina looking up to smile at Ellie, then losing her place.

“Ah, shit, always mess up that bit.”

She took a deep breath, composing herself again. 

**_“Take on me. Take me on. I'll be gone. In a day or two. Needless to say. I'm odds and ends. But I'll be stumbling away. Slowly learning that life is okay. Say after me. It's no better to be safe than sorry.”_ **

Her playing was clumsy, but it was the most beautiful thing Ellie had ever heard.

**_“Take on me. Take me on. I'll be gone. In a day or two. In a day or two.”_ **

Breathing out, Dina rested the guitar against the barn wall. Ellie had shown her a few chords before, but not how to play this song.

“When did you learn how to play that?”

“I asked Joel for some help,” Dina said proudly. “He’s a pretty good teacher, can see why you’re so good now. How does it feel to be on the other end of the serenade?”

“Really fucking good. You crushed it.”

“I didn’t, but thanks. Maybe you can help me perfect it later. Now… let me go get food, should be ready. Stay here.”

While Dina disappeared, Ellie looked around the barn. The candle flickered. How long had she been planning this exactly? Ellie felt like crying. Dina was so sweet. 

“Okay, here we go.”

Dina returned with a pot. She opened it, a cloud of steam rising. Ellie wasn’t quite sure what it was, some kind of stew, but it looked… pretty damn good.

“Huh, this actually looks edible,” Ellie said as Dina passed her a full bowl.

“You make it sound like things I usually make aren’t.”

“No comment.”

“Rude. I can take it back if you don’t appreciate my cooking.” Dina playfully swiped for the bowl, but Ellie pulled it out of reach. “There is a special ingredient in it. One Joel managed to track down.”

“And you’re not gonna tell me what it is, are you?”

“Nope. Adding some mystery to your food is good.”

“Sometimes, yes. Depends on the mystery.” Ellie fought off a shudder. “But… it does look good, so I’ll trust you.”

“Speaking of mysteries and looking good…” Dina took something from under the table. A bottle. “Ta-dah.”

“Shit.” Ellie took the bottle. “Is that… some of Joel’s moonshine?”

“Yup.”

“No fucking way. I’ve been trying to get him to give me some for… ages.”

“He hadn’t perfected it yet.” Dina cracked open the bottle, pouring into chipped glasses. “And wanted to save it for special occasions. Like now. Cheers.”

They clinked glasses, then started eating.

“Oh, shit. This is actually, like, really good.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Dina flicked her arm, “jackass.”

Ellie looked at Dina, the woman she loved so much. They were a family. She let her spoon hit the bowl, hand shaking slightly. Dina’s smile faded away, replaced by worry as she reached across the table and took Ellie’s hand.

"El, you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I just… never really pictured this for me. Any of this. It's crazy, in the best way."

"You’ve been through a lot, we all have.” Dina brought Ellie’s hand up, kissing it, then played with her bracelet. “Now it’s time to cash in on all that good karma."

Nodding, Ellie kissed Dina’s hand back. She didn’t trust her voice to speak without breaking down.

“If you’re done eating, I’ve got more music. Record player this time, though.” Dina stood, moving to the side and cranking it up. She re-offered her hand. “Care to dance?”

Ellie took her hand, putting one arm around Dina’s waist as they swayed from side to side. 

“I’m so glad you danced with me back then.”

“Me too.” Dina hesitated. “And that I tried to get you to rate our kiss that night. Even if you were reluctant to. Which reminds me, you never did rate it.”

“Second kiss was better.”

“There probably wouldn’t have been a second one if I didn’t push it.”

“Well, I…” Ellie sighed. She was right, “...didn’t know what you were thinking. Or what any of it meant, you know.”

“You didn’t really ask.”

“I guess I didn’t.”

“Overthinking is dangerous… and you generally don’t kiss people unless you like them, El.”

Ellie laughed. “Yeah, okay. I was kinda stupid.”

“Good thing I like stupid,” Dina whispered, kissing her cheek and then her lips. “Still better than a six.”

“Helps when there aren’t assholes around.” Ellie kissed her again, longer this time. “Hope I’m not distracting you from anything.”

“Oh, Ellie. You distract me from everything.” Dina smiled, dazzling. “That’s what I love about you.”

“Really. I’ve been made to believe otherwise.”

“I’d never get anything done if I didn’t shut you down sometimes.”

“Not tonight though?” Ellie asked.

“Nope. JJ’s in capable hands. Joel said he’d drop by tomorrow morning. And all chores are done. Made sure of it, despite your best efforts to stop me.”

They both smiled, continuing to sway and exchange tender kisses. Moments like these made all the hardship and heartbreak worth surviving through.

**Author's Note:**

> Got a few other ideas floating around, so see y'all next time.


End file.
